Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lena glanced from happy brown to weyrwoman and back again, hoping the brown wouldn't cavort under the sole attention of candidates and watchers for very long. She was starting to worry for the two eggs that hadn't moved at all, and as soon as the brown Impressed, Lena knew the call would ring to the candidates to gather in close. Were there atypicals to be found in the two remaining eggs, those they chose would face a very difficult next few sevendays. But the brown was still fun to watch. She was very interested to see whom he chose as His, though the only male candidates she was really very familiar with at this point were Balt, Ruven, and Gauden. She wasn't sure any of those three quite fit the brown either, though she knew sometimes dragons chose their opposites, the better to make both rider and dragon more capable of serving the weyr.

Well aware of the tension in the Queen and that the crowds-- rider and non-- hadn't quite gotten over the most recent upset, Gauden let his arms fall as the Brown made his way through the boys, but he didn't dare reach out to touch or encourage him. Not that he would have anyway, but now he was very careful to keep himself still. To the people in the stands it would appear that he was as bland a boy as any, with his solid but unmoving stance, arms hanging at his sides, face not expressing any particular surge of emotion. The number of eggs were dwindling, and if he remembered the eggs that were left correctly, they weren't likely to be for him either. He wouldn't Impress this time around, but he hoped that those who did were more certain of where they wanted their future to lay than he was at this point.

Had S'koi been privy to his neighbor's thoughts... well, it wouldn't have been anything he hadn't heard before. He'd been mistaken for a girl most all of his life, and even those who knew him not to be one had often referred to him as one anyway. It was only at the Weyr as a dragonrider now that he had ever gained even some minor form of respect-- not counting family.

In the meantime, the greenrider had moved his attention on to the proud brown. He looked pleasantly happy, so he seriously doubted this would be one to go Between. The only worry now lay on the fate of the two unmoving eggs. Had the Hatching gone on for too long?

The brown cavorted around some more before he came to a screeching halt, nearly rolling tail over head as his head came up and he looked in among the boys. There! There! He crooned loudly and, rising up on his haunches, spun around to make a beeline for the mess of egg shells and goo in the center of the Sands. Stopping there, he dug his talons deeply into the hot substrate and spread his wings wide, chest puffed out proud and pleased as he bugled again, eyes locked on one boy in particular.

Mallanmine! Come to your Asoth, I am hungry! His voice was loud and exuberant in the boy's mind as he Impressed at last, making a spectacle of himself as he summoned his rider out into the center of the Sands.


Abigail gave a sigh of relief as the brown impressed and bounced the shovel on her shoulder, waiting the short bit for the brown and new rider to clear out. Padding out, her dragon rumbled and drew attention to the Weyrwoman in lieu of clearing her throat. "Candidates! Reform your ranks! Come closer. You know the drill, close, quiet, and composed." She swept her strong gaze over the assembled teens, gesturing for them to come closer, then stepped up to the Burning Egg, lined the shovel up, tapped it lightly then wound up and gave a good thunk.

With an irate squeaking chirp, a little black tumbled out the weakened wall of the egg, eyes already whirling orange and red. Abigail arched her brow - all of the hatchlings had strong personalities, both a boon and a curse as far as she was concerned. At least she could feel confident in expecting great things from this latest generation.

Lina had already fed Galith most of her bowl when suddenly the hatchling stilled, head twisting to stare out at the sands, her face taking on an almost vacant expression. The largish green watched the hatching of the gold and brown, absorbing everything that was happening. Lina found sifting through Galith's interpretations to be almost more fascinating than watching herself! When the gold started knocking down candidates, however, Lina became a bit concerned. A bossy, in-your-face gold hadn't appeared to be the temperament at the touching, and this caught her completely off guard. Galith, of course, wasn't as bothered by it, but the green did get some yellow tinges to her eyes as a candidate on the sands seemed to say something offensive to the gold. Lina watched in horror as the gold stalked the girl and her hands flew to her mouth, as if it could stop this from happening in any way.

Brakiath stepped in, for the second time this hatching, and most probably saved the fool's life! Remind me not to cross that girl, or the gold Lina thought, the comment being entirely rhetorical. I doubt you will be foolish enough to need that advice Galith remarked, the most she had said since their Impression. Lina paused, then smiled, running a hand down Galith's neck to reassure herself that everything was, indeed, fine. She spared a glance at the night sky, which by now didn't seem as dark as it had been. Was dawn on it's way? Rigel was still visible, and she sent thanks at her lucky star. It had done her well tonight, and she couldn't be happier. Galith was still watching the brown, and seemed curious about the emotions she sensed around her - why could all of that doubt and misgiving come from her brother Impressing? No, something else was going on, and Galith was too distracted to eat at the moment, so Lina looked about her fellow candi- no, weyrlings. She sent a wave over to Cetalese, the girl that had helped her when she had bunk troubles. She was glad someone she at least recognized had Impressed as well. She'd really have to try and get to know them better now. After all, they'd be flying and.........oh shards! They'd be fighting Thread! Why had that thought never occurred to her before? She'd been so wrapped up in the first Star Smiths being Dragons that she hadn't even given Thread a second thought! I will keep you safe Galith murmured in her mind - though she was probably more concerned with calming her rider so she could pay better attention to what was going on out on the sands.

Galith tilted her head as the brown Impressed. Much of the atmosphere had abruptly quieted, and there seemed to be a great deal of nerves and held breath. Why? she asked simply, relaying what she could sense of the atmosphere to Lina. This question Lina found easy to answer. They used to let the eggs that didn't hatch die. Now, in some Weyrs, they break the eggs open so the hatchlings can live. Not everyone thinks it's right, however. The "atypicals", as they call the dragons that aren't of the original color, are normally weaker at hatching and require much care to survive Lina answered her green, who had started to become slightly distressed along with everyone else. At the explanation, Lina could feel Galith relaxing - that was good. They both watched as a black dragonet spilled out onto the sands, looking rather unhappy with its lot thus far. Lina silently hoped that there wouldn't be any more maulings.

Lena stifled a giggle once more as the brown summoned His to the absolute center of the Sands--yes, definitely a handful, that one! But now they were onto more important things--the last two eggs waited, and Lena hoped all would be well with the hoped-for atypicals inside. She flashed a quick smile at the other candidates remaining as they all stepped closer.

The burning egg was the first target of the Weyrwoman's shovel, yielding a tumbling black. Black! She hadn't really expected it of the burning egg--then again, she wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. Ill-tempered green, maybe? Its orange and red eyes worried her just a bit, but hopefully all would be well for the hatchling soon enough.

Lilias watched as the guiding light green came back to the girls, stately and in no hurry but steady and continuous. The green came closer and closer through the many other girls and then alighted right in front of her and hummed. Lilias' brows furrowed as the most beautiful voice sounded in her head.

"Lilias, it is time for you to come with your Polarith now. Let us go together and find our way in life."

Lilias blinked. Could it be? Was it? She slowly reached out a shaking hand and the little green brought her head up to meet it. The little green hummed and Lilias felt the missing puzzle piece in her soul fall into place. It was! It was, it was it was! Impression!

"Her name is Polarith!" Lilias said exuberantly. She heard an answering bugle in a deep brassy voice and suspected that Plexith was the culprit, and judging by D'lin's congratulatory yells she figured she had guessed right.

What are they yelling about mine? asked the mellow green.
"They are just happy that we have found each other my precious dragon."
"They are right to be happy, may we go to the feeding tables please?"
"Arn't you a polite creature", Lilias said as she lead her baby off the sands.
"Why shouldn't I be?"
"No reason my dear no reason at all" Lilias said as she eyed some of the more volatile dragons with caution.
Polarith noticed this and hummed with amusement, her blue eyes whirling, before bugling a greeting to her green sisters.

Set'al leaned forward when it came time to break the last two eggs, not that it actually afforded him a better view. Even Pipith paid a little more attention, though not as much as he had when the gold dragonet was on the Sands. A shovel? he grumbled, Is that really necessary?

If someone had broken his egg with a shovel, Set'al could safely say the bronze probably would have given them a mauling for their trouble. Gotta break the shell somehow.

But...a shovel?